


fire, fire

by DJBunn3



Series: Voltron Bingo [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Bittersweet Ending, Established Relationship, Fire, M/M, Mythology References, Sort Of, keith as prometheus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 17:10:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15778434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJBunn3/pseuds/DJBunn3
Summary: “I don’t regret it.”“How?” Lance demands, his eyebrows drawing together. “How can you not regret it? Zeus is going to punish you! We won’t be able to see each other again! Doesn’t that… doesn’t that bother you at all?”The last part is said quietly, almost hesitantly, like Lance is afraid to ask. Keith sighs again, reaching up to cup Lance’s cheek with his hand.“More than you can imagine,” he says, stepping closer. “You know how I love humankind. You know how I loveyou. But I’d rather be punished knowing that you’re safe and warm than let you freeze to death knowing I could have done something about it.”





	fire, fire

Keith drops down into the valley behind Lance, flaming reed clutched tightly in his hand. Despite the cool breeze blowing around them, he can still feel the scorching heat of Hephaestus’s workshop. His eyes have blind spots burned into them from the light of the godly kilns, and he can still smell the chokingly thick smoke from the forges. Still, he doesn’t regret his decision--not even for a second.

He uses his free hand to tap Lance on the shoulder, flinching when he jumps and lets out a startled cry. “It’s just me,” Keith says quickly as Lance spins around, arms raised to defend himself.

“Oh,” Lance breathes as his eyes focus on the image before him. “Keith, you’re back,” he sighs, relaxing slightly.

“I am,” Keith confirms with a nod. “And I brought you something.”

Lance’s eyes widen as he produces the reed, a tiny flame still burning in the hollow stem. “You got it?” he asks, shocked, staring down at the sparking plant. “For real?”

“Of course I did,” Keith says, his lip tugging upwards in a small smile. “I promised, didn’t I?”

Lance watches the flames dance and twirl fixedly, fascinated. “How did you do it?” he whispers, not bothering to look up.

“It wasn’t easy,” Keith admits, scratching at his neck sheepishly. “I had to trick the goddesses into fighting over an apple to sneak into the workshop, and by the time I got it, they were already over it. They’ll probably notice I’m gone, but I think we’ve got some time until they figure out what I’ve done.”

“It’s amazing,” Lance says, tearing his eyes away from the fire to look up at Keith. His face is flushed and his eyes are bright with amazement.

“It’s yours now,” Keith says, smiling gently. “You’ll be able to make it whenever you want. Everyone will.”

“And it’ll keep us warm?” Lance asks.

“Yeah. But don’t touch it,” Keith warns. “It can burn you. The same way the sun burns you when you stay outside for too long.”

“Amazing,” Lance breathes again, mesmerized. “But… Won’t Zeus be angry with you? I mean, after everything you’ve done for us humans?”

“He won’t be pleased,” Keith says with a grimace, knowing he’s sugar coating things a bit too much. Once Zeus finds out, he’ll be lucky if he escapes with his life. “But it’s alright. I’m glad I did it.”

“Will you be okay?” Lance asks, his face creasing with worry. “Will I be able to see you again?”

Keith smiles sadly, shaking his head no. “After everything I’ve done, I don’t think so. Zeus is bound to have some type of punishment up his sleeve. By the time I’m allowed to intermingle with humans again, you’ll probably be long gone.”

_ If  _ he’s allowed to intermingle with humans again, he reminds himself, then chooses not to dwell on the thought.

Lance’s eyes grow wide, the flickering light from the reed reflecting in them perfectly. “You- You’re serious?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Afraid so,” Keith says, matching his volume. “But I don’t regret it.”

“How?” Lance demands, his eyebrows drawing together. “How can you not regret it? Zeus is going to punish you! We won’t be able to see each other again! Doesn’t that… doesn’t that bother you at all?”

The last part is said quietly, almost hesitantly, like Lance is afraid to ask. Keith sighs again, reaching up to cup Lance’s cheek with his hand.

“More than you can imagine,” he says, stepping closer. “You know how I love humankind. You know how I love  _ you _ . But I’d rather be punished knowing that you’re safe and warm than let you freeze to death knowing I could have done something about it.”

Lance stares at him sadly, moving his hand over Keith’s. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, his voice breaking. Keith strokes his thumb under Lance’s eye, wiping away a stray tear.

“Don’t be sorry,” he says. “I chose to do it. I wanted to. I’d do it all over again, no matter what Zeus has in store for me, or how long I’ll have to stay away. As long as you’d let, me… I’d do anything for you.”

Lance reaches up suddenly and pulls Keith towards him, leaning forward to trap Keith in a kiss. He tastes salty like tears, and his lips are soft and warm despite the chill of the night air around them. He’s shivering.

Keith brings the flickering reed closer, hoping its tiny flame will keep Lance warm until he has time to build a proper fire. He pulls away and opens his eyes, watching as the light dances across Lance’s face and hilights the tear tracks on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry I have to leave you,” he says quietly, holding Lance’s face in his hand. “I really am. But it’s better this way.”

Lance’s eyes shine in the dim light. “Will you at least stay the night?” he asks tearfully. “Please, Keith.”

Keith glances up at the sky. It’s still mostly clear, meaning Zeus hasn’t discovered what he’d done yet. “I’ll stay with you,” he agrees. “As long as I can.”

Lance leads them back to his dwelling, stepping carefully to avoid making too much noise and waking the others. Keith walks beside him, shielding the reed from wind with his hand. Every now and then he bends down to collect dry twigs and leaves from the path.

“Here,” Lance says quietly, ducking through the door. Keith follows, heading straight to the rock-lined pit he’d made the last time he’d been inside. He drops the sticks and leaves inside, taking extra care to arrange them in a safe way, before lighting them with the reed. He blows on the fire gently until it builds in size and he can feel the warmth radiating from it.

Lance watches in amazement, transfixed by the sparks coming off of the leaves and twigs. Keith takes a seat and watches him watch the fire for longer than he’d like to admit, before he notices how tired Lance looks.

“You should sleep,” he says, voice tinged with regret. “It’s late.”

“I’m not tired,” Lance protests, then yawns hugely. “Okay, maybe a little. But I want to stay here. It’s warm.”

“I know,” Keith says. He doesn’t bother moving when Lance slumps next to him a few minutes later, his head resting on Keith’s shoulder, snoring gently. Keith reaches up to pet his hair, smiling softly down at him. He loves humans a great deal, and he loves Lance more than most. If that isn’t worth getting punished over, he really doesn’t know what  _ is. _

He tears his attention away from Lance and glances outside. Storm clouds are gathering above them, and the air is beginning to smell of rain. Zeus must be preparing for a thunderstorm, Keith figures. It’s a sign that he should head back to Olympus to face the gods, unless he wants Lance’s village to suffer. Still, he sits by the fire a while longer, until the wind begins to howl and the rain starts to pour.

He leans down and ever-so-gently places a kiss on top of Lance’s head. “Be safe,” he whispers, moving so that Lance slumps against the wall. He pokes at the fire, making sure it’ll burn a while longer, then stands and heads outside.

He lets the rain wash over him and listens to the thunder crash around him as he heads back to the valley. It’s calming, despite the fact that it’s a warning to him. Or maybe it’s not the rain that’s calming, but the picture of Lance sleeping peacefully inside, safe and warm.

_ Yes, _ he thinks as he begins the trip back to Olympus.  _ That’s it. Lance is safe. Lance is okay. _

_ And really, isn’t that all I could ask for? _

**Author's Note:**

> For [Voltron Bingo](https://voltronbingo.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.  
> Prompt: Mythology  
> Based off the Legend of Prometheus.  
> 


End file.
